


Made to Be Broken

by blackrose_17



Series: Aliens and Wizards, Oh My! [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mates, Minor Character Death, Multi, Post Cyberwoman, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-22
Updated: 2013-11-22
Packaged: 2018-01-02 09:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1055063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the tragic events with the Cyberwoman Ianto is an emotionally shattered and mentally broken mess. There is no longer any place for him in Torchwood and he returns home to the only other place he knows, the wizarding world. Can he find healing there? Who will help fix this broken soul, maybe someone just as broken as him? But is Jack as willing to let Ianto go as he seems?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: RoyalLadyEmma  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood, or Harry Potter in any shape or form

**Chapter 1**

Ianto Jones was not who he once was and he certainly was not the timid Tea-Boy that Torchwood Three saw him as. He hid himself cleverly and thoroughly behind a mask and had more secrets than even they could begin to imagine but right now, none of that mattered. His entire world had fallen apart right before his eyes when one of his most important and most dangerous secrets was revealed.

The woman he loved, her mind and soul twisted and tormented by the Cyber implants that invaded her body, stood declaring that they would be upgraded together, because that’s what love was, togetherness forever. Ianto’s heart bled from the sorrow of seeing Lisa for the monster she had become. Everything he had worked so hard for, had allowed himself to be degraded to nothing more than a Tea-Boy for, was over. It had all been for nothing, a total waste of time, resources, money… love. He had failed completely and as he watched his world fall apart before him, he allowed himself to fall into memories of a happier time.

_Ianto gazed down fondly at the woman sharing not only his bed but also his life. “How did I get so lucky to have you in my life? Because I sure as hell don’t deserve you but I don’t think I could give you up,” he admitted as he stroked her arm._

_Lisa smiled up at him, “Because_ _you're_ _you, it’s as simple as that.”_

_Ianto shook his head. “No, it has to be more than that; I wasn’t a good person in my old life.”_

_Lisa sat up in bed and cupped Ianto’s face with her hands as she looked him in the eyes, “Yes, you were, Yan; you may not have seen it but I did and I still do. Despite what you think there was always good in you; otherwise you wouldn’t be the man you are today. And you wouldn’t be the man I’ve fallen in love with.”_

_“Ianto, please let me go.”_ He still remembered Lisa pleading with him and now, as he stared at the twisted remains of Lisa and poor innocent Annie, Ianto wished with all his heart that he had granted Lisa's wish, if only to have prevented this bloodshed and the unnecessary, unforgiveable loss of two innocent lives.

 _“If I have to damn my soul in order to save you then so be it.”_ Ianto recalled his impassioned words to her and couldn't help but wonder if this was the price he was destined to pay for his stubbornness.

Seated in the middle of a growing pool of blood next to the twisted remains of two women Ianto cried for the lives he had ruined. _‘Why couldn’t it be me lying here instead?’_

With a shaky hand Ianto stroked Lisa’s cooling cheek, “I’m so sorry, Lisa, you will never know how much. I should have let you go when you asked me to; I was wrong to force you to continue living in with this pain. I never should have put my selfish needs above what you wanted.” He pressed a final farewell kiss onto her lips and prayed that she was at last granted peace.

A choked sob escaped Ianto’s lips as he turned to the other innocent victim. “Oh Annie, I can’t even begin to tell you how truly sorry I am that you got caught up in all of this. I will carry the guilt of your death until my dying day. If I could change this, if I could take your place right now, I would. You will never know how deeply sorry I am.”

Ianto could feel the burning stares of the team on his back but he didn’t care as he pressed a kiss onto Annie’s forehead.

Tosh didn’t even attempt to try and control her tears as her heart broke for Ianto; she hated that she had been so blind to the pain of someone she worked with. _‘We saw him every day and I can’t remember the last time I asked him how he was or even thanked him for a cup of coffee.’_

Anger and jealousy warred within Jack at the tenderness that was in Ianto’s every movement as he asked forgiveness from the two women who could not grant it. Never had he seen such a strong example of love and devotion to another human and he wanted that loyalty for himself. Maybe he wanted it from the young man who was offering it. Jack let the red haze of anger he was feeling control him as he stalked silently towards the grieving man. He didn’t realise he still held his Webley in his hand or that his finger was still on the trigger.

“Jack, no!” Tosh could see the rage pouring off of Jack and she didn’t want him to do anything in this state that he would regret later. She tried to reach out for him only to be stopped by Owen and Gwen as they both grabbed her roughly and dragged her back.

“Don’t bother, Tosh, that traitor has to be dealt with!” Gwen spat out, her own anger at Ianto blinding her to the pain that the youngest member of the team was in. After all it was his fault that she had nearly been converted earlier and anything Jack gave Ianto was well earned and highly deserved.

Owen shook his head sadly; he knew that it would be suicide for anyone to interfere with Jack at this moment. The man was on a mission and the medic actually felt pity for the broken man before him. He knew what it was like to lose everything, but that pity warred with selfish anger that Ianto had been given the chance to save Lisa where he had been denied any chance whatsoever of saving Katie. _‘I never even got to say good-bye,’_ and he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of hate for Ianto.

“You hid yourself from us,” Jack growled as his fingers twitched around the grip of his Webley and the strong urge to use it against the other man flared within him.

Ianto fought the urge to snort at Jack's words because the truth was Jack had no idea how right he was. Everyone had secrets, he just happened to have a few more than most people. _‘Nothing matters in anymore, not with her gone. Maybe I should just return to the wizarding world and face my punishment. Maybe accepting the Dementor’s kiss would be less painful than living in a world without Lisa.’_ Ianto just wanted the pain to end and the best way to achieve that was simple, push Jack over the edge. Get Captain High-and-Mighty to pull the trigger right there in the middle of the Hub. _‘Wonder who’d have to clean that mess up,’_ he snorted to himself.

 

"Like you have any place to talk, Jack. Tell me, tell all of us, what makes Gwen Cooper so special that she has the right to know your secret? Hmm? The one you keep so tightly guarded away from the others. I know I may not have deserved to find out, but shouldn't Tosh and Owen be allowed to know given that they would willingly put their lives on the line if it meant saving you? How many times do you think they have foolishly risked their lives to save you, when you would have been perfectly fine no matter what?" Ianto snarled as he turned to face Jack outrage burning in his eyes.

Ianto could see the moment that Jack faltered, his blue eyes widening as he realized that Ianto knew his deepest secret and that the hurting Welshman felt a strong sense of pride he wanted to make Jack hurt just as much as he was.

 

"I bet you’re wondering how such a lowly Tea-Boy like me could know your secret?" Ianto's eyes flashed with fire as he struggled to keep a hold of his magic; it surged through his veins wanting to break free and revenge Lisa. Without giving Jack the opportunity to respond, Ianto continued. "Well since you asked, the answer is quite simple. Before I came to Torchwood Three, before I was degraded, insulted and humiliated by you, I was Torchwood One's Archivist. As it turns out, you missed several files during your ‘let’s-destroy-all-traces-of-Captain-Super-Ego’ forays into One’s Archives, so it wasn't that hard to figure out just what your secret was."

Frozen by disbelief over what he was witnessing, Jack could only stare at Ianto like he had never seen him before and in many ways he hadn’t. Truth was he had never taken the time to really get to know Ianto. Oh sure he’d lusted after the young Welshman and he could say which one of Ianto's suits made his arse look the best and which one brought out the blue in his eyes, but he couldn't say if Ianto had any siblings or what the name of his parents were or if they were even still alive. It was something that he could do with the other members of his team and he knew he should badly over that bit of self-realisation, yet rage still won out over remorse.

Gwen couldn't stand to see Jack taking the brunt of Ianto's anger, not when whole ugly situation was all entirely his fault. "You have no place to cast stones, Ianto; you brought that _thing,_ that threat in on us! You placed that hideous monster's safety above ours!" Her voice was vicious and strident and it echoed through the rafters of the Hub, waking Myfanwy who shrieked back in annoyance.

Hearing his beloved pteranodon squawking in protest at her rude awakening caused something in Ianto to snap and before he could stop it, his magic lashed out in response. The lights around the Hub all exploded at once, sending everyone ducking for cover while Tosh and Gwen shrieked as shards of glass rained down on them. A series of colourful and emphatic curses escaped Owen's lips as he did his best to shield Gwen and Tosh from the falling glass. As for Jack, all he could do was stare at Ianto in open-mouthed, wide-eyed shock.

 _'He's a wizard! How could I have missed something so fantastic, so incredibly personal? Oh, Ianto, I am so sorry! I never really knew you at all, did I?'_ Jack knew he’d missed a lot where Ianto Jones was concerned, and he really did feel badly about that, but he’d have to think about that later. Right now the main thing to think about was calming Ianto down before he did some real damage with his magic.

The instant the first bulb exploded, Ianto panicked; _‘I shouldn't_ _have done_ _that!’_ He had just broken one of the most rules in the wizarding world, he’d shown his magic to muggles. He cast a final glance at Lisa. _'I'm so sorry, Lisa,'_ Ianto apologised as he instinctively did the only thing he could do under the circumstances; he pulled out the wand that he always kept on him. "Apparate!"

"No!" Jack snarled as he rushed forward to stop Ianto but there was just one step too many between them and he was too late, his fingers closed over empty air. 

 

Ianto Jones was gone.

 

"Damn it!" Jack roared kicking at Gwen's chair sending it flying across the Hub’s floor to crash into the pool of water at the base of the tower. He had no idea where Ianto had gone and there was simply no way of getting to him; the wizarding world was completely separate from and inaccessible to the muggle world. Ianto was clearly one of theirs and unless or until he voluntarily returned to the muggle world, he was gone forever.

"Jack! What just happened? What in the world was that and where did Ianto go?" Gwen demanded from behind him; her voice was strident, much like fingernails on a chalkboard and it sent a shudder down his spine. She grabbed his arm to get his attention and her fingers felt like talons trying to pierce his flesh.

Sighing Jack turned to face an openly shocked Owen, an angry-looking Gwen and a nervous but hopeful-looking Tosh. Rubbing a weary hand across his face Jack weighed his options; he wasn't sure how he was going to explain about wizards and the mysterious world they inhabited to them. He wasn't sure how much of it they would believe despite being Torchwood and seeing the miraculous, weird and even insane every single day.

Granted, his own experiences dealing with the notoriously secretive wizards and the wizarding world were rather limited and he still didn’t know what to do about Ianto, how to explain that their Tea-Boy actually possessed powerful magic. At that moment he felt a mixture of emotions, more pity than anger though, for Ianto. Discovering that the man was so desperate that he would break what was probably a wizard’s most unbreakable rule: _never_ use magic in front of muggles, only proved to Jack how truly damaged the young man was.

******

There was only one place in the wizarding world where Ianto could go, one place where he would feel safe, one place where he would be welcomed with open arms and one place where he could heal what was left of his shattered soul and battered body.

Without even thinking about it, Ianto instinctively went home.

Remus Lupin was up and moving, his wand at the ready, even before the loud crack filled the air.

“Remmy?” Sirius called out worriedly; he’d been in the kitchen working on their dinner when his husband’s sudden movement had caught his eye. Now, as he stood in the kitchen door wiping his hands on a tea towel and watching his husband, Remus began growling low in his throat and his shackles rose sharply. Something had clearly set the wolf in him on edge and although Sirius wasn’t sure what it was, he got his answer a split second later.

Stumbling into their living room from a rather rough-looking apparition, his face ashen and his suit covered in blood, was their only son.

“Ianto!”

It was immediately clear to both men that Ianto was barely able to stand and even as Sirius rushed forward to catch the falling man he knew that he would not reach Ianto before Remus and he was right. Stopping right next to Remus, he watched his husband catch Ianto in his strong arms and cradle him gently against his chest as though he was the most precious cargo in the world and to them he was. After all what parent didn’t see their child as their greatest gift?

Pulling back just enough to look at Ianto, Remus growled low in his throat again as he took in the injuries that littered his son’s body and his nose wrinkled at the scent of death that clung to the young man. “Ianto, baben, what happened to you?”

A choked sob was his only answer as Ianto curled deeper into Remus’ embrace seeking the love and comfort his father was offering. Above his head Sirius and Remus exchanged worried looks as Sirius bent down next to them and wrapped his arms around Ianto’s shaking form. He unsure of what to say so he did the only thing he could at the moment, he too offered comfort, “It’s all right, son, you‘re safe now.” As he stroked Ianto’s hair Sirius frowned deeply as he discovered that it was stiff and caked with blood.

Ianto could only shake his head with sorrow as he lifted himself from Remus’ chest and his fathers were alarmed to see that his eyes completely dull, that the beautiful light normally there was gone. “No, it’s not all right. I really messed up and this time my mistakes cost lives, innocent lives.”

Both Sirius and Remus’ hearts broke at the pure pain in Ianto’s tone; it was unlike anything they’d ever heard from him before and so, unsure of what they could do to help him, they only tightened their grip on Ianto, offering him as much love and comfort as they could.

Ianto had been broken before he’d left for the muggle’s world, but the man who stood before them was nothing but an empty shell, completely devoid of all the joy, happiness and love he once carried within him. Looking at one another, his father's reached the same conclusion; no matter how long it took, they would do everything in their power to put their broken son back together. After Ianto was healed then and only then would they hunt down those responsible for destroying everything that was their son.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After standing in one another’s arms for some time, the trio finally moved over and sat down on the sofa, with Ianto remaining in the safe haven between his fathers’ protective arms. Silent agreement between the older men meant that they didn’t ask him any questions for the time being, although they hoped he would confide in them, but to no avail. Remus and Sirius hadn't gotten any answers from Ianto; huddled within their arms, their poor boy had simply cried himself to sleep and it tore at their hearts to hear such painful, heart-wrenching sobs pouring from his lips. The loss in his eyes was palpable and pain poured from in him waves, leaving him unable to do anything more than cling desperately to his fathers before sleep mercifully claimed him.

After they were sure he wasn’t going to wake up again, Remus had adjusted his grip on his son and carried him back towards his old bedroom. The room was always ready for Ianto to use whenever he came home to visit, and Sirius made sure to put fresh sheets on the bed every week, just in case. Now he pulled back the blankets and watched as his husband placed their son down gently with the tenderest of care and he was reminded of the countless times they’d done the same thing over the years. 

Knowing his husband as he did, Sirius knew that if it had been any closer to the full moon there was nothing, not even magic, that would have stopped Moony from hunting down those responsible for their son’s condition.

Silence reigned in the small room as between them they stripped their son of his soiled clothing and then cleaned Ianto the best they could using spells to remove as much of the blood and dirt off of Ianto as they could without actually bathing him. Finally, having done as much as they could for the time being, they changed him into a dressing gown and tucked the blankets around Ianto's prone form, something they hadn't done since Ianto was a little boy.

As the men stood there looking at their son, all his cares and woes miraculously erased by sleep, they smiled softly at one another and then back to Ianto. "Why is happiness so hard for you to find and keep?" Remus whispered softly as he stroked Ianto's hair.

Only once he was sure that Ianto was resting as comfortably as he could did Sirius speak, "We should have _never_ allowed him to leave the wizarding world!”

Worried that his husband might wake their son, Remus ushered Sirius out into the hall and pulled the door partially closed behind them. “He’s a grown man, Siri…”

Sirius continued as though Remus hadn’t spoken, “…or better yet, we should have tried harder to stop him from joining that death sentence known as Torchwood," Sirius growled under his breath. He knew in his deepest heart that their son's broken state was Torchwood's fault. _‘They will pay, I swear it!’_

Guiding Sirius back to the lounge, Remus sat them down on the sofa. "We both know that he joined partly to help out Neville, to make sure that Torchwood knew nothing about his travels with that Time Lord of his," he pointed out patiently.

While the wizarding world was kept a secret from the muggle world it was not the same with many of the alien races who came to Earth. There were some aliens who sought to invade and start a war with the wizards but who quickly departed leaving the wizarding world alone. They’d quickly learned not to mess with people who had magic flowing through their veins.

On the other hand, there were those unfortunate few who were peaceful but who’d become stranded on Earth and who sought sanctuary within the hidden world where they were free to be themselves and not have to hide their differences.

The Time Lord known as the Doctor loved the wizarding world above almost all others and always popped by with his newest companions to show them what they had previously been blind to. Having met the man numerous times, Sirius personally thought that the Doctor simply loved to show off; it was obvious that he thoroughly enjoyed the look of stunned disbelief that each companion wore the very moment they laid eyes on the hidden world they shared their own world with.

It wasn't until the ninth version of the Doctor arrived did things start to change. He and his newest companion, a lovely young woman by the name of Rose Tyler, ran into some serious trouble when they inadvertently landed their strange blue box in Neville's greenhouse at Hogwarts. Fortunately for all parties concerned, the highly talented young professor was there to calm down the more dangerous of his plants that the TARDIS managed to rile upon her arrival.

As much as she enjoyed exploring with her Doctor, Rose had decided that she would rather see the wizarding world with a true wizard as her guide and that was how Neville Longbottom ended up playing happy tour guide to a beaming Rose and a sulking Doctor. As it turned out, Rose wasn’t the only visitor who took a shine to Neville. The TARDIS adored him and stole him way from for a trip or two which ended up keeping him with them for a year but only away from Hogwarts and the wizarding world for a week.

Neville had come back from his travels a changed man. The characteristic happiness that had always shone from his eyes was gone and in its place, sadness clung to him. To this day only Ianto and Luna had ever gotten the full story out of the young man but Sirius knew heartbreak when he saw it. and Something had happened on his journeys that had put that haunted look in Neville's eyes and as Neville was one of his son's closet friends, the next time Sirius saw the Doctor, the Time Lord was in for a punch in the face for hurting someone Ianto cared about.

"You do know that Neville is going to blame himself for this once he learns what’s happened, don't you?" Sirius commented as he came out of his memories.

Unfortunately, Remus knew his husband was right; once word of Ianto’s condition got out Neville would blame himself even though it was not the young man's fault whatsoever. Ianto had been broken after the war and had left the wizarding world to heal. Remus and Sirius truly thought he had found happiness when he’d met and fallen in love with Lisa Hallett, and while Sirius had been unsure about the woman there was no denying that Ianto truly loved her and that she loved him deeply in return.

All Remus had ever wanted was for his son to be happy, only to be forced to watch as that happiness was stolen away from him once again by blood and death. “What are we going to do? How do we help our son this time? I’ve never seen him so… so…” he was at a loss for words.

Sirius understood his husband's worries; it seemed like every time Ianto found happiness it was cruelly ripped away from him. Wrapping his arms around his husband, he laid his head on Remus’ shoulder. "Well the most important thing is that we let him heal first before we anyone else know that he has returned. I’m just afraid that it won't take long until they know he's back,” Sirius pointed out. “So we need a plan to keep him away from prying eyes and nosy questions."

"Agreed,” Remus nodded as he gently stroked his husband’s back. “Ianto's healing comes first and if we have to call Severus for a sleeping potion then we will but _only_ if it comes to that and only if it’s a very mild one. I don’t want our son to become trapped in a nightmare because he’s too drugged to wake up," the man declared emphatically. As much as they both hated the idea of using potions on their child, he wanted Ianto to have as good a chance to heal and recover as possible before their well-meaning family came calling.

Sirius fought the urge to growl at the mere mention of Severus Snape. While he may have finally come to accept the fact that Harry had fallen in love with and married his old enemy, thereby forcing the two men to make a truce, it was an uneasy one at best. True they would never be the best of friends but when it came to his son, Sirius would have gone to Voldemort himself if it meant getting help for Ianto.

A soft whimper from down the hall drew their attention and they were on their feet and in Ianto’s room in a flash. Unsure of what he needed, they watched as Ianto shifted in his sleep, twisting and turning, his face contorted in pain. Not willing to leave their son alone any longer, Sirius and Remus both curled up on either side of Ianto offering much-needed comfort to their slumbering son. As they felt him slowly calm down, the fathers hoped that they would soon gain answers as to what had broken their only child and caused him to run home to them.

******

Jack slumped bonelessly in his chair a tired sigh escaping his lips as he rubbed a weary hand over his face. He had finally finished cleaning up the Hub after the events of the night, mopping up the blood and gore, melting down the conversion unit and placing the bodies in the morgue. Toshiko had made it _very_ clear to Jack, Owen and especially Gwen that they were going to treat Lisa’s remains with just as much respect as they were giving Annie’s.

Of course once that distraction was past, Jack then had to explain what they had all seen Ianto doing. Tosh acted just the way that Jack had predicted she would, first with shock followed quickly by pure awe at the idea that magic truly existed and that Ianto was part of that incredible world. Jack was proud of the fact that even with her scientific brain she clearly still held an open mind and he simply smiled warmly at her when she inundated him with questions. The tech genius wanted to learn everything she could about the wizarding world because in her mind, given the life they lived, magic wasn't all that big of a stretch.

Something that really intrigued Jack was the lack of surprise in Owen's eyes when he heard about wizards; in fact, Jack had the very distinct feeling that this was not the first time that Owen had witnessed magic. _‘I am going to have to_ _look into that,’_ Jack made himself a mental note.

Gwen's reaction however failed to surprise Jack whatsoever. In true ‘Gwen-fashion’, she had flat out refused to believe that magic truly existed and then, to make matters worse, she accused Ianto of stealing alien technology from the Archives and using it to escape his punishment. She heatedly demanded that Tosh and Owen be sent out immediately to track Ianto down and bring him back to the Hub so that she could see justice done. “I am not going to let him get away with trying to murder me!”

Jack was beginning to get an inkling that Gwen wasn't as open-minded as he had originally thought.

But later, after he’d sent the team home for the night and the Hub had gone into night-mode, he was cleaning the body of the woman who had once been Lisa Hallett, the woman Ianto had deeply loved. As he gazed upon her face, which looked oddly naked without the Cyber-metal framing it, he realised that he not only had he crossed a very important line but he’d actually ground it into dust when he’d ordered Ianto to kill Lisa.

A chilling thought struck Jack like a sledgehammer, nearly sending him to his knees; he knew that if Ianto had followed his orders and had shot Lisa himself, Torchwood would have permanently destroyed what was left of Ianto's gentle heart. _‘Now_ _all_ _I have to do_ _is find Ianto and apologise for that,’_ he acknowledged, _‘after_ _I figure_ _out where he is and what_ _I should do with the young Welshman when I do find him.’_

There was no denying Ianto had brought danger into the Hub, a deadly enemy who could have destroyed the world, but the man hadn't seen it as a danger. He had been a desperate man trying to save the woman he loved and while Jack was still incredibly angry and hurt over Ianto's betrayal, he couldn't deny that he understood Ianto’s motivation. After all, that was how he’d met the Doctor and Rose, by unwittingly placing the world in mortal danger in order to earn a quick buck. At least Ianto's reasons were a lot more honourable; Jack couldn't blame Ianto for that, not when his own hands were just as blood-covered.

Getting to his feet, Jack collected a glass and the decanter of whisky – a Christmas gift from Ianto – from the sideboard and retook his seat. "I really messed up." As he poured a healthy measure into the crystal glass, the immortal found that he could admit his failure out loud in the privacy of his office. Sipping his drink, he took a moment to savour the smoky, peaty undertones of the whisky before hanging his head in his hands.

Taking another sip, Jack reflected on Ianto’s heartfelt accusation. The man had been right; when _was_ the last time he’d asked Ianto about anything in his life, enquired as to his health, or even thanked him for a cup of coffee. Before his eyes flashed an image of him tossing Ianto the basketball on his way out of the Hub to have a drink with the team, never stopping to invite the young man along.

He knew perfectly well that he could make a whole bunch of excuses as to why he’d kept Ianto at arm's length while letting the others in. Regardless of what he pretended, he knew it was because he was afraid of what Ianto was making him feel.

From the moment he’d met Ianto in Bute Park that fateful night he'd been aware of Ianto so much more than he should be. Ianto called to a part of him that he thought he had locked deep away. Somehow the young man had gotten under his skin and the night they had captured Myfanwy it had taken all of his willpower not to roll Ianto under him and take him as his own.

Perhaps it was the whisky that made his mind so amazingly clear, but Jack finally acknowledged what a part of him had always been aware of: his heart saw Ianto as a future mate.

“And that’s something I can’t think about, not right now, not when the Doctor could return at any moment,” Jack addressed his comments to his whisky glass. “I have to, I  _need_ to go with the Doctor to get his my answers.” Even to Jack’s ears his words sounded hollow but the fact remained,  claiming a mate now would only create ties that he didn't need or want later.

But no matter what excuses Jack put forth as he drained his whisky and splashed another two fingers of amber liquid into his glass, it been so incredibly hard to resist claiming the young Welshman, marking Ianto as his and his alone. That was why he’d been delighted when he’d found Gwen; her forthright manner and determination to take part in life had reminded him so painfully of Rose Tyler that it became easy to flirt with her and transfer his longing for Ianto onto her. He knew it wasn't fair, he knew that Gwen thought there was more to his flirting than there really was and he knew he should tone it _way_ down, but it had been the only way to cool his desire for Ianto.

"What a messsh," Jack mumbled under his breath and realising he was starting to slur his words, he resolutely put his unfinished whisky aside. He needed a clear head if he was going to find Ianto even if he truly had no idea how to begin. True, he did have a few contacts in the wizarding world but he had the distinct feeling that if Ianto wanted to he could and would disappear for good. A frustrated sigh escaped Jack's lips; there was one other person he could call, someone who had much better connections to the wizarding world.

The problem was Archie hated him as much as – maybe even more than – he adored Ianto and once the garrulous Scotsman discovered that had happened to make Ianto flee as he did, it would be next to impossible to get the leader of Torchwood Two to help him.

Jack had no idea if Ianto already reached out to Archie or if he even would, but Jack knew _he_ had very few options open to him and that Archie was his best bet for success in finding his missing Welshman. _'This is not going to be a pleasant talk,'_ Jack predicted as he eyed his whisky glass and thought about downing the last bit. _‘No, better not, need a clear head for this.’_ Jack mentally squared his shoulders and reached for the phone; as much as he would like to put off this phone call the sooner he talked to Archie the soon he could start his search for Ianto. If he didn’t act quickly, the Welshman would have too much of head start on him.

******

It had been a long time since Ianto had awoken feeling safe, loved and protected but that was just how he felt as he opened his eyes to find two sets of warm arms wrapped tightly around him. For one brief moment he blissfully forgot everything that had happened to him since he’d left the wizarding world and even though he’d avoided doing so before, he found himself wondering how his life might have turned out had he never joined Torchwood One, never met Lisa, never watched his world burn as Canary Wharf fell to fire and blood.

But that was all what-if's and make-believe; reality was much harsher. The events of the previous night came rushing back in a tidal wave of emotion and Ianto's soul ached not only at the loss of Lisa but with the knowledge that Jack was forever out of his reach. He’d never meant to fall for the flirty leader of Torchwood Three but Captain Jack Harkness was the only other person who had ever stirred with him the urge, the _need_ to be claimed by them.

Ianto ruthlessly shoved those thoughts deep into the back of his mind, that part of his life was over and done with. Forever. He truly did love Lisa with all his heart but it had never felt completely right, not like the deep love he’d always seen between his fathers. It had been hard to accept but the simple truth was, Lisa was not his mate. There were only two people who Ianto ever felt that way about and neither one of them wanted anything to do with him and that knowledge hurt more than losing Lisa ever could.

"Shh, it's all right, cub, we're here," Remus murmured softly; Ianto's growing distress was so strong that he‘d sensed it in his sleep. He did not like seeing his son in any type of pain, but until Ianto opened up to them and told them what happened all they could do was comfort him the best they could.

Just as he had when he was a child Ianto curled into Remus' chest and let his dad's heartbeat sooth him for several minutes while he sorted out his thoughts. Finally he pulled back and glanced up at Remus, his eyes filled with pain and sorrow. "I'm sorry about showing up like that last night, but I didn't know where else to go. I only knew I needed to be somewhere safe and to me there is no safer place to be than with the two of you," Ianto admitted softly before he buried his head again.

Above his bowed head Remus and Sirius shared worried looks, what could have made their son so afraid of the outside world that he needed to take sanctuary with them. "You'll always be safe here with us," Sirius vowed as he pressed a kiss onto the top of his son's head his arms tightening around Ianto.

Ianto clung to his fathers; their promise it was the only thing truly keeping him from falling apart and he knew sooner or later he was going to have to tell them what happened last night. "I just don't want you to be disappointed in me or hate me once you learn what I did." Ianto’s low-voiced confession made him sound like a little boy who’d been naughty.

A low growl escaped Remus' lips as he tightened his grip on his son. "Your dad and I could never hate you, Ianto, _never_ ; we will always love you no matter what mistakes you may make."

Hearing those words caused a crack in the dam holding back his emotions, a crack which quickly expanded until it shattered as though it were made of glass. Ianto let out a choked sob as he tried not to fall apart, but his burden was just too great. Remus and Sirius’ hearts broke as they listened to their beloved son crying out all the pain he’d been carrying since the day Torchwood One fell.

Even as his heart broke beyond all hope of repair, he knew that at least he would always have his two fathers and their unconditional love for him. That was all he would ever truly need.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Severus Snape was not in a good mood as he glared at the leader of Torchwood Three; Jack Harkness was a man he called more a damned annoyance than a friend. "The only reason I am here is because Archie asked me to come and even then, only because it involves Ianto," Severus growled out sharply. _‘I should still be in bed curled around_ _my husband instead of helping this pain in the arse out of his latest mess.’_ But Archie had asked him to help out, and when one of the greatest potions masters Hogwarts had ever known approached you for a favour you dropped everything and did as you were asked. Once he’d learned that Ianto was involved there was no possible way he could say no.

“So, Captain Harkness,” Snape looked disdainfully down his long nose at Jack. "Just what have you done to one of my best students?"

Feeling quite uncomfortable in the presence of such a powerful wizard, Jack fought the urge to shuffle his feet. He had met Severus a few times over the years and while they would never be close friends they did get along okay as long as he refrained from flirting with the other man. Keeping his hands, eyes and comments to himself was something that Severus’ husband backed up by threatening him with a few serious and very colourful hexes. Despite the fact that Jack was thousands of years older than Snape, Severus had the ability to make him feel like a naughty schoolboy called to see the headmaster.

Sheepishly Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "Did Archie explain what happened last night?" It hadn't been Jack’s intention to tell Archie everything but the story had just come pouring out and once started, he could stop. While Archie agreed that what Ianto had done was indeed stupid and potentially dangerous the Scotsman was sure that he truly didn't mean any harm. When Jack got to the part about Lisa’s demise, he had ripped the immortal a new one for being so cruel as to order him to kill the woman he loved. Ianto pointed out that no matter what Ianto had done _no one_ deserved to carry that kind of stain on their soul for the rest of their days. Archie was quite vehement in his belief that had Ianto done as Jack demanded they would have truly lost the Welshman for good.

Crossing his arms over his chest Severus levelled a glare at Jack that had the immortal wincing. "He did. I know Ianto, the real one, the one that he hid from you and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the young man is intensely loyal but smart to the point of being brilliant. If you ask me, there must have been a reason why he felt he could not come to you about Lisa."

Jack winced again quite visibly. He had never bothered to hide his dislike and distrust of Torchwood One or his belief that he thought they had all gotten what they deserved when the Tower fell. It didn't matter to him if they worked in the Archives, were a secretary, a scientist or a soldier; all he knew was if they worked for Torchwood One then they were guilty. He knew that  Owen held the same dislike for One’s employees or that the medic made no attempt to hide his thoughts on the fall of Torchwood One.

Even Gwen, the ‘heart of Torchwood’, had had an extremely callus moment of her own when she’d asked Ianto what it was like just standing there watching his world burn around him; she had wanted to know how he had managed to survive when so many of his friends died. “So where did you hide, huh, Ianto? How did you get away Scot-free?” The viciousness of her words had left them all in shock, Toshiko, Owen and Jack, and her attack had sent Ianto rushing to his Archives, where he’d hidden himself away until well after midnight.

Jack would never forget the haunted look in Ianto's blue eyes as he looked at her and asked in voice so soft that they all had to strain to hear, "What makes you think I survived?" If ever Jack needed a sign to know that Ianto wasn't healing and needed someone to talk to about the horrors he had endured, that was it. But Jack, in his desperate attempt to deny his growing feelings for Ianto, had ignored Ianto’s obvious plea for someone to talk to and instead had allowed himself to be distracted by the latest Rift alert… and by Gwen Cooper.

Seeing that Severus was still waiting for an answer Jack took a deep breath and began to explain, "I never bothered to hide my dislike of Torchwood One or my belief that Torchwood One had gotten what they deserved in the end. Ianto had to go to great lengths to get me to hire him, even to gifting me with a dinosaur." That bit of memory had Jack wincing yet again with the knowledge of just how much Myfanwy loved and trusted Ianto and Jack had used her to attack Lisa. It was just one more horrible thing he knew he had to make up to Ianto. "I kept my distance from Ianto because I couldn't forget the fact that he worked for Torchwood One and those monsters cost me someone I cared deeply about. Since they were all gone, I took my rage and anger over her death out on Ianto."

"Let me get this right?” Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously. “You lost _one_ person there while Ianto lost everyone,” he used his hands like scales, weighing the left against the right. “Yes, that seems about equal.” The wizard looked at the other man with such contempt that Jack found himself wishing the teleport function on his wrist strap still worked and he could simply vanish like Ianto had. “And then you made no effort whatsoever to hide the fact that you believe Ianto’s friends and colleagues got what they deserved?”

Unable to defend himself against Severus’ words Jack simply looked at him with a growing sense of guilt.

“It’s no wonder Ianto felt he couldn't come to you! As far as you were concerned he might as well be the one who killed your precious friend! Why do I have a strong suspicion that no one else on your team has this kind of problem? How many times a day do they come to you with their petty little problems?" Severus growled low in his throat. “How quickly do you drop everything you’re doing to help them out?”

Jack’s spirit sank; this was bad, very bad. He knew that once Remus and Sirius learned the story behind Ianto’s time with him there would be nothing that could save Jack from their wrath.

Severus could read Jack’s dismay and he knew just what the horrid man was thinking; Ianto’s fathers were going to do him in for sure, not to mention what his own godson would do to Jack. It was no secret to those who knew Draco and Ianto that there were more than friendly feelings between the two of them, and now more than ever Severus wished Draco had acted on his feelings for his former classmate, if only to have spared Ianto such pain.

Once again Jack found himself visibly wincing. He had been devastated when he’d read Rose's name on the list of the Canary Wharf dead and he’d stupidly let that pain blind him to the suffering of the survivors. To this day he still had no clue as to what happened to any of them, few though they were or how they were making out. No, he and his team had swooped in, scavenged anything and everything of value or danger and then he’d washed his hands of anyone and everything Torchwood One-related.

Ianto Jones had been the only exception to that abandonment, and was only because of his intense perseverance in wearing Jack down, although once he’d hired the Welshman, he hadn't done a very good job of looking after the younger man.

Jack’s pain shown clearly in his eyes as he looked at Severus, "Rose Tyler’s name was on the victims’ list," he admitted in a soft voice.

Severus stiffened at that bit of information. He had met the blond woman and while he hadn't been overly fond of her – she was too cheerful and bright for his taste – Harry had adored her and Neville had loved her; news of her loss would hurt them both. Refusing to be swayed by Jack’s show of emotion, the potions master arched an eyebrow. "Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that Rose would approve of your treatment towards Ianto and the rest of the survivors?” Without giving Jack a chance to respond, he continued, his voice sharp and angry. “She would be ashamed of you, _Captain,_ " Severus spat out Jack's rank like it was a curse.

Shocked by Snape’s words, Jack stiffened and paled; never _once_ did he think of how his treatment towards the others might make Rose feel. Like a physical blow to his heart Jack knew that she would be so disappointed in him for taking his anger and pain over her death out on others. Jack found he could no longer hold Severus’ disapproving nearly condemning gaze. "I never thought about it like that."

"I didn't think so,” Severus snorted with contempt. “Tell me, Captain Jack Harkness, you’re such a big hero, if it had been Rose who’d been half-converted by the Cybermen, would you have walked away leaving her there to die or would you have done _everything_ in your power, even becoming a butler to a group of ungrateful spoiled children, in an attempt to save her?” This time Severus stood silently, waiting for Jack to respond and as he’d expected, Jack had nothing to say. 

“And when that failed would you have been able to put a bullet between her eyes? Would you have been strong enough to end her once bright life?" Severus demanded, forcing Jack to place himself in Ianto's shoes. “Or would you have felt as shattered and hopeless as Ianto had, helpless and unable to act even if you knew that in doing so you could end her suffering?”

Jack recoiled at the very thought of harming Rose in any way and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach as he realised just what Ianto must have felt when he’d ordered the poor man to kill the woman he loved. _‘It’s my fault, all of it,’_ Jack admitted to himself. 

“I’m waiting, Captain!” Snape’s voice ricocheted off the walls and slammed into Jack’s reverie.

"No wonder he ran; I truly was a monster to him last night," Jack whispered as tears sprang to his eyes.

Severus was rather pleased to see that behind the tears, a strong element of guilt appeared in Jack's blue eyes. Without softening his tone, the wizard said, "While I am not excusing Ianto's actions you must remember that he will live for the rest of his life with the knowledge that he got an innocent woman killed. More importantly, no matter how much he examines the events of the last few  months, he will never truly know whether it was really the woman he loved pleading with him to save her or the Cyberwoman using her memories to manipulate him.”

“Ianto is going to inflict his own punishment,” and for a moment there was true sorrow in Snape’s eyes. “And it will be far worse than anything you could ever do to him, because I know you, Captain, and you won't Retcon him. Ianto did something that very few others ever have, didn’t he? He managed to con the great Jack Harkness and now you think you deserve to see the real Ianto Jones and not the man wearing the butler’s mask.”

Jack hated to admit it but Severus had a point. He _did_ want to know the real Ianto, the man behind all the carefully constructed masks; he wanted Ianto’s unwavering loyalty not only to Torchwood Three but on a more primal level, to him as well.

Severus stiffened as a new scent began rolling off of Jack, a scent he knew all too well, it was that of an alpha reacting to his mate. It was the same scent that rolled off of Draco every time he thought about or looked at Ianto. "Jack Harkness, you bloody fool!" he roared.

Jack took a step back at the unexpected fury suddenly radiating off of Severus and he couldn't help but wonder what had caused that kind of reaction. "What did I do now?"

"Ianto is your mate and don't you dare deny it! That was why you reacted so badly last night and that was why you demanded that Ianto kill Lisa. Your primitive animal mind thought Ianto had chosen another mate as over you! How could you have been so stupid?" Severus demanded. This was going to cause problems because there was no way that Draco was going to let Jack claim Ianto as his own which made him wonder which of the two men Ianto's wolf saw as a mate, the wizard or the muggle.

Jack could only stare slack-jawed at Severus for a moment, completely dumbfounded by his accusation. That couldn't be true, it just couldn’t! He didn’t see Ianto as his mate, did he? “No! No…” Jack shook his head emphatically. "That's not possible! Sure I wanted Ianto like I've never wanted anyone else before and I even went as far with my flirting as to hiring the new girl in order to take my mind off of Ianto, but that doesn't mean Ianto's my mate. There’s just no way!"

Unable to believe the words he was hearing, Severus could only stare at Jack in amazement. Surely there was no possible way that Jack was truly that dense… was there? He studied the other man for a moment and then realised that the look in Jack's eyes proved that the immortal truly believed what he was saying. A frustrated sigh escaped Severus lips and briefly he wished his husband was here; not only would Harry keep him calm but he would have happily, _gladly_ slapped some sense into Jack for missing the obvious. Well, after he stopped trying to kill Jack for hurting Ianto, that is.

Severus softened his tone slightly. "Jack, I've spent my whole life around magically-inclined creatures and I know the signs of someone finding their mate when I see them. Whether you like it or not, whether you realise it or not, Ianto _is_ your mate, there is no denying that so it's time you stopped that train of thought in its tracks. It's clearly not worked that well in the past, now has it? You've admitted to yourself that you feel something different towards Ianto, even going as far as flirting more than usual with the new girl, a situation which will by the way, stop immediately. You might not think that Rhys Williams is all that much but you have no idea who he truly is and I will not allow you to hurt him," Severus growled out.

Jack nodded his head in agreement. Even if Severus hadn't said anything he knew his flirting with Gwen had to stop, it wasn't fair to anyone involved, especially when there was definitely nothing to come of it. "Trust me, it’s done with; I should have put a stop to it the moment I realised that Gwen was taking it much more seriously than I meant it to be. But I still don't understand how or why you think Ianto is my mate."

Exasperated by Jack’s continued ignorance, Severus rolled his eyes. "Tell me, Jack, how did it make you feel when Ianto told you no? That he’d chosen Lisa over you? When he made it clear that Lisa was his girlfriend? What if someone else out there wants Ianto for himself?”

A ragged snarl started deep in his chest and then tore itself free from Jack's lips. "I wanted to rip her apart for having Ianto’s loyalty and love! It should have been me that Ianto gave his loyalty to! If anyone else thinks of making a move on Ianto I'll rip them apart," Jack snarled savagely, jealousy lacing his every word.

Severus looked far smugger than he should have. "Oh yes, I can clearly see now that I was wrong in my opinions, there is no possible way that Ianto could be your mate," Severus drawled out sardonically. “What a fool I’ve been.”

Jack sighed as the realisation of what he had been denying to himself finally sank in. Ianto was his mate, the other half of his soul, the one he’d been looking for since before he was cursed. Then another truth sank in, one that changed everything as far as Jack was concerned. "It doesn't matter, I'm immortal and there’s no way I can willingly bind myself to someone I will long outlive." Pure pain laced Jack's voice as he acknowledged to himself and to Snape that he would outlive his mate.

There was something in the devastated tone of Jack’s statement that touched Snape. "You're forgetting Ianto is a wizard, he has a longer lifespan than most muggles ever will; it’s possible, even quite probable that you could have him by your side for centuries. You wouldn't have to be alone for a very long time and who knows,” Severus shrugged, “that curse as you call it could actually help to extend Ianto’s lifespan to match yours.” 

“Do you really think so?” The hope in Jack’s eyes was touching; he’d always viewed his immortality as the worst thing that could ever happen to a human being, but if there was a chance that it could help Ianto, then...

“Or,” Snape wasn’t done yet though, “the magic that flows through his veins might counteract the vortex within you, bring an end to your curse."

Jack stiffened at that. "I didn't know that Ianto had magic in him until last ni…”

Severus glared down his nose at Jack, looking every bit the formidable educator he was. “Ianto Jones belongs to one of the oldest wizarding families in our world. His magic has roots in the distant shadows of time and while he will never brag about it, in fact he’ll probably never even mention it, Ianto is truly brilliant and there are many who consider him to be one of the most gifted young wizards to ever come out of Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

As far as Jack was concerned, Snape's description of Ianto sealed his fate and his shoulders sagged in defeat. “Even if he is my mate there’s no way he’s going to want anything to do with me, not after what happened last night," Jack pointed out, true sorrow lacing his voice.

Severus closed his eyes as he tried to ward off the oncoming headache that threatened to take hold; _‘It’s_ _like dealing_ _with children all over again!’_ he sighed. "Jack, you have each said and done things last night and before that hurt the other deeply but if you truly care about Ianto you _will_ find a way to make this work with him. But I warn you, Jack Harkness, you are not the only one who sees Ianto as a mate."

Fire shot from Jack's stormy blue eyes as he glared at Severus and a savage growl tore itself from his throat. "Who?" he demanded wanting to know who valued their life so little that they had designs on his Ianto. “Who is it? I will rip them to pieces with my bare hands””

Delighted that he’d touched a nerve, Severus smirked, "A young man who already knows the true Ianto and who will do everything in his power to help the younger man recover himself.” Snape’s smirk deepened, “so I would suggest that if you want Ianto for yourself, you’d do well to get your act together."

Jack ran a hand through his hair as he admitted his next problem and he hated that he sounded like a whiney five-year-old, "But I don't even know where he is!" 

Snape finally took pity on the immortal. "He has returned to the home of his childhood to be with his fathers; it is the one place that Ianto knows he will always be safe. You must understand, Jack, that Ianto has seen a lot in his young life, too much for one his age, as far as I’m concerned. Not only did he survive the fall of Torchwood One at Canary Wharf, but he was also involved in the deadliest battles in the middle of our great war. Given who his parents were Ianto was a highly sought-after prize; many Death Eaters tried to kill him, including members of his own family.”

Jack shook his head with a fixture of wonder and despair. “I know nothing of Ianto, not his family, his past, nothing.”

"And it is not my place to tell you anything more,” Snape shook his head.

“But if I know about him then I can help him,” Jack tried to explain.

“No, right now you can help him by staying away. He is fragile and needs time to heal; give him a few days before you go looking for him. There is still a chance for the two of you to heal and to get over the lingering anger, but heed this is warning, Jack, Ianto's family and friends love him deeply and they will be very protective over the younger man. You will have a battle ahead of you to even get a chance to speak to him."

Jack nodded his agreement. “I expect nothing less.”

Severus hated to admit it but he was actually mildly impressed with Jack’s easy acceptance of the facts. While he might not like Sirius he did actually like Remus and he was rather fond of Ianto. He knew that Sirius and Remus would undoubtedly go out of their way to make things difficult for Jack and he suspected there would be a great many punches thrown and even a few deaths threats added for good measure before the soon-to-be-lovers were properly reunited.

Jack nodded his head decisively. A few days apart would be good for the two of them; it would give Ianto time to heal and it would give Jack time to come up with a plan, time to find the right words to make Ianto understand… _‘Understand what? Why you murdered his girlfriend? Why you ignored him and let the others treat him like dirt?’_ Jack sighed deeply; he really had a lot of thinking to do between now and then. But first…

"So you'll tell me how to find Ianto?" he asked expectantly, only to have his weak hopes dashed when Severus shook his head. "Why not?" he frowned and then grimaced, refusing to admit that he had just whined like a child. Again.

"Because I know you; Jack, too well. If I tell you where Ianto is now you won't be able to wait; you’ll go see him the moment I leave. Tell me I’m wrong,” Snape challenged.

When Jack dropped his eyes and remained silent the wizard had his answer.

“No, in a few days I will be back for you and I will take you and _only_ you to Ianto." Severus knew that there was no way Ianto would be up to seeing his teammates right away. _‘Actually, I wonder if he’ll ever want to see those monsters again.’_

Jack had to admit that Severus knew him far too well because that was no doubt what would have happened. "Alright I’ll play it your way for now, but in a few days’ time you better be back here or else I'll find my own way to the wizarding world and track Ianto down myself," Jack warned.

Severus raised an eyebrow at Jack's words; he knew the man well enough to know that this was not an empty threat. "I have no doubt that you would indeed make a nuisance of yourself, a talent you are rather good at," and he firmly ignored the pout that graced Jack's face. "I shall be back for you before you know it. Do not attempt to find Ianto on your own; it will only end in pain for you. His fathers are rather protective of him."

Jack’s cute little pout was replaced by a sullen scowl; he _really_ hated being forced to wait but he didn't want to get killed by Ianto's overprotective family. "Alright, I'll stay put."

"Good. I shall speak to Ianto in a couple of days to see if he is up to having guests and if he doesn't fall into a panic at the mere mention of your name then I shall return and bring you along." Severus decided that he had done all he could; it would be up to Jack to make his case to Sirius and Remus that he be allowed to see Ianto.

“Thank you, Severus, thank you very much.” Jack could afford to be gracious; he was going to see Ianto in just a few days and he felt his heart give an unexpected leap of joy.

Pausing at the door, Severus turned back to Jack one last time. "Oh, and one last piece of advice, be very careful around Gwen Cooper. That woman is not who she appears to be. Your doctor already knows that very well." His warn delivered, Snape took his leave of a very puzzled Jack.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Curled up in his father's favourite chair Ianto sank deeper into the cushions as he allowed Remus’ scent to surround him. He hadn't dared look at his parents as he’d explained what had happened and how he came to be there with them, and he had just reached the hardest part. "…and then he ordered me to kill her. All the wars I've been in never did anyone tell me to murder anyone in cold blood, much less the woman I love in cold blood. I know now that Lisa was already lost to me and had been for a long time, but I still couldn't pull the trigger, not when the creature she had become was still wearing my Lisa's face. But something in me ached over denying Jack's order. It felt so inherently wrong to have chosen Lisa over Jack," Ianto admitted in a soft voice.

Sirius decided at that moment that he was going to murder Jack Harkness. Yes, his son had acted foolishly in trying to save someone already lost to him but love made everyone do foolish things from time to time. However, that did not give Jack the right to order Ianto to kill the woman he loved. If Ianto had done that Sirius knew that act would have damned the last bit of Ianto's soul.

Unable to control himself any longer, Sirius shot to his feet and snarled, "I'm going to kill him! How dare he order Ianto to do such a thing!"

Ianto reached out and snagged his father by the arm. "Please don't, Tad, I am just as much at fault as Jack is!" He swallowed hard, "My life in Torchwood is over, of that I have no doubt and I’m quite sure that none of them ever want to see me again."

The deep sadness in Ianto's blue eyes and the hollowness of his voice made it painfully clear to Remus and Sirius that there was something vitally important that they were missing when it came to Ianto's relationship with Jack.

Remus knew now was probably not the time to ask and yet he still found himself asking, "Just exactly what is Jack Harkness to you, son?"

It was a little amusing to watch as Ianto managed to blanch and blush at the same time but still it worried the older men a little. "I have only felt this way about one another person before; Jack makes me feel safe and protected even though when we were together at Torchwood he didn't see me half the time," Ianto admitted into a soft voice not able to meet his parents’ eyes.

A feral growl tore itself from Remus’ chest as he jumped to his feet and stalked over to stand beside his husband. He knew precisely what Ianto meant and he was going to rip Jack Harkness apart. "I'm going to kill him!" Remus snarled.

Sirius’ eyes widened along with Ianto's as they sensed the waves of murderous rage pouring off of Remus and father and son had no choice but to physically tackle the enraged werewolf as he lunged for the door. "Remus, I know how you’re feeling but you need to calm down.” Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around his husband as he reminded the man, “If I'm not allowed to kill Jack then you aren't allowed to either."

"Don’t you understand what’s happening here?” Remus roared as he struggled in vein against his son and husband’s hold. “Ianto's wolf sees Jack as a mate! And yet he treated our son like _that_?"

Ianto paled dramatically as he heard his father’s words. “My mate? No, that can’t be!” and even as he tried to deny it to himself, his heart gave an unexpected lurch of joy. 

A long string of colourful and damning curses escaped Sirius’ mouth as his eyes flashed dangerously. “Get out of my way!” Sirius growled loosening his hold on his husband." _I'm_ going to kill him!"

"No!” Ianto struggled to hold Sirius back. “Jack didn't know and you can't hold it against him! Please!” The young wizard tried frantically to keep his fathers from committing murder.

Remus stopped struggling against his son’s hold as the rest of what Ianto had said suddenly sank in. "You felt this way about someone before? Was it Draco?" he demanded to know. Ianto flushed bright red and looked away from his father and that was answer enough for Remus. He of all people knew how hard it was to deny the call of your mate but for his son to fight against not one mate but two?

Turning to his son, Remus took his hands in his. "Did they both reject you?" he asked softly. If they had there would be no place either human or wizard could hide from him and nothing in either world that would stop him from ripping them apart.

Ianto shook his head. "No, it wasn't like that, I don't think they knew how I felt."

Sirius had to disagree with his son there; he’d seen the way Draco had looked at Ianto but after horrors of the war both young men had just been too broken to act on their feelings for one another. "Son, Draco cares for you far more than you know. He may not know that you are his mate but he has an inkling you are much more important to him than he yet realises. You didn't see him when he learned about your relationship with Lisa; he was devastated but he did nothing because he wanted you to be happy." Sirius didn't really _want_ to make his son feel any worse than he already did but Ianto needed to know that Draco did have feelings for him.

Ianto stared at his father. He wasn't sure how he should feel about that; never did he think or believe that his feelings for Draco just might be returned. Ianto knew now whose help he needed in to order heal, the one person he'd always had a special bond with, Draco Malfoy. Ianto turned to his fathers with hope shining in his eyes, "Can you get Draco for me?"

Remus wasn't surprised to hear his son's request. Ianto would eventually need all of his mates with him or else he would be lost to his grief over losing Lisa forever. If that happened, his wolf would die of loneliness and heartbreak. "Of course, son, we'll get in contact with him right away," Remus vowed and next to him, Sirius nodded his agreement.

And for the first time in almost twenty-four hours Ianto found himself smiling a true smile.

******

Toshiko Sato was on a mission when she arrived at Torchwood Three the following morning. She was going to find her missing teammate and she didn't care what the others had to say or think, she would not rest until she found Ianto. She marched into the Tourist Office with her head held high and her chin jutting only to come to a complete halt as she recognized the defeated figure sitting at Ianto's desk. "Jack?"

Jack lifted his head and Tosh was reminded of a sad puppy dog who’d been kicked one time too many and her heart went out to her leader.

"I really messed up last night, didn't I?" Jack asked in a small, hopeless tone as he ran his fingers back and forth over Ianto's workspace. After spending hours the night before just looking around at the ramped, dingy little room where his mate spent so much of his time, he’d realised that Ianto didn't even have a desk down in the Hub with the others. After some hard and grubby searching down in the Archives Jack found a battered old desk he didn't even knew they had. He’d spent the better part of three hours cleaning it, hauling it upstairs to the main floor and setting up in the same manner as Ianto’s Tourist Office workspace. In doing so he’d finally realised just how isolated Ianto had truly been from the others. "Actually before last night, did you know that Ianto didn't even have a desk with us?"

Surprised by Jack’s question, Tosh blinked sadly; she’d never paid much attention to where Ianto worked, although she’d never once missed regular coffee-delivery times. "You're not the only one who messed up, Jack, we all had a hand in hurting Ianto. It wouldn't have killed us to say thank you or to ask him how his day was or even invite him along to the pub. I can't remember one time we asked him along with us," Tosh admitted in a soft voice.

Jack reached out and pulled Tosh into his arms, understanding full well the guilt she was feeling right now; they had truly failed the youngest member of his team, but him most of all. _‘After_ _Ianto has seen the most horror in this life_ _and I did nothing to help him through it.’_ "I think I may have found Ianto but my friend refuses to let us see Ianto for a few days, says it’s to give us all a little more time to heal and cool our tempers before we met up again," Jack explained to Tosh.

Tosh wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that she wouldn't be able to see Ianto right away; she really wanted to check on Ianto and make sure that he was going to be all right. "There's no way to track him down, is there?" she asked.

Jack shook his head sadly. "No, there's not. We really do have to wait until he's ready to see us again."

Tosh said nothing just sank into the warmth that Jack offered her, hoping that Ianto would want to see them again.

******

Ianto was nervous, Sirius could tell from the way his son kept fiddling with the coffee mug in his hands. Sirius placed his hand over Ianto's. "It's okay, son, Draco is your friend and he's been worried about you," Sirius reassured his son.

Ianto glanced at his father but before he could open his mouth to say anything a familiar voice caught his attention, one that Ianto hadn’t heard in the longest time and which stirred an ache deep within him.

"Where is he?" Draco demanded forcefully as he shoved past Remus his eyes searching the room for the only man that mattered to him. He needed to see for himself that Ianto was all right.

"He's in the living room with Sirius and Draco, please be careful, he's far more damaged than he's willing to admit," Remus warned softly. “Be gentle with him.”

 Draco Malfoy was nobody’s fool; he knew something had happen to Ianto, something that had left him broken, something that must have been really bad if they had called him for help. "I'll do my best to help him," the blond wizard promised, and he would, he would do his very best to put Ianto back together again.

Remus watched Draco go a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I know you will." There had always been a bond between Draco and Ianto, starting with their first days at Hogwarts. Ianto had always been the one able to get through to Draco when he was being his most annoying. Ianto had always been a shy and quiet child only coming out of his shell when Draco entered his life. Not everyone approved of the boys’ friendship, especially when the Great War had been brewing, but the bond between the two could not be broken and no matter how far apart they got they were still drawn to one another. Surely it was only a matter of time before they admitted they were mates.

What Remus didn't know about or how to plan for was what role the immortal Jack Harkness would play since Ianto felt the same pull to Jack as he did to Draco. _'Still, what happened last night may play an important role in the shaping of their relationship.'_ There was one thing that Remus knew for sure, however, his son needed both Draco and Jack in his life and as Ianto’s father, he would do everything in his power to make sure that Ianto found the happiness that had escaped him most of his life.

Even though Ianto had been prepared for Draco's arrival he was still shocked when his best friend came rushing into the study and threw his arms around Ianto in a tight hug. A choked sob worked its way up out of Ianto's throat; Draco was the first person outside of his parents to have touched him with care and tenderness since the morning Torchwood One fell.

There were only a few people that Draco ever showed any emotions towards or allowed to see the Prince of Slytherin being anything but strong and silent, and one of them was Ianto. "It's alright, my friend; you don't need to be strong around me. I'm here for you, it's okay to break, I'll always be here to pick you back up."

Sirius shifted just a little uncomfortably, it always amazed him how different Draco was around his son and he had to fight the protective urge rising up in him to rip Ianto away from Draco's arms. Friend or not, future mate or not, the only one who should be comforting his son was him, but fortunately, the sensible part of him knew that right now Ianto needed Draco and he would just have to learn to live with it.

"I know it's hard but Ianto needs him," Remus whispered as he came to stand next to Sirius and linked their hands together. "I'm so very proud of you for not giving into your protective urges." It was no secret that Sirius had a rather strong protective side when it came to Ianto and Harry. “I know how hard it is for you.”

A grumble escaped Sirius' lips as he leaned into his husband's hold. "Don't expect it to last long."

A small grin tugged at the corners of Remus' lips, "I wouldn't expect it to."

*******

Sitting in the lounge with his arms crossed over his chest and his back to the door, Harry Potter-Snape was not in a happy mood when his husband returned home hours after leaving with no word on where he was going or when he would be back.

"And just where have you been?" Harry knew he sounded petulant, shrewish and even slightly childish, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like Severus to withhold information from him; ever since the uncertainties of the war, they’d always let the other know where they were off to and a rough estimate on when to expect them home.

Severus tried not to smile indulgently at the sight of his husband, with his lower lip sticking out he looked more than a little put out. "Archie asked me to do him a favour." Severus didn't see the point in lying to Harry.

Behind his glasses Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What kind of favour?"

Slowly Severus shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry, I can't tell you that just yet; it involves someone else and I won't break their confidence, but I'm sure you'll find out in a few days."

There was something in his husband’s voice that worried Harry and he looked at him more closely; he could see unexpected torment in Severus’ eyes. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"I will not lie to you, my love, no, you most likely will not." Severus knew how protective his husband was over those he saw as family and Ianto was family. _‘When he finds out what’s been happening in Ianto’s life, Harry is going to be more than angry.’_

Harry's eyes narrowed even further. "I'll give you two days and then I’m going to want answers."

Fighting to keep a knowing smile from his lips, Severus raised a disbelieving eyebrow; he had serious doubts that his husband would last that long. _'Harkness, you have two days to start making things right and heaven help you if you don't.'_

******

Emotionally exhausted by the telling of his story, Ianto had finally succumbed to sleep and he lay curled up against Draco's side with one arm thrown over the blond man’s waist. As he watched his friend sleeping, the young man was slowly stroking Ianto's back and trying not to shiver at the feel of Ianto's nose nuzzling against his neck. Even though the connection was sending erotic chills up and down his spine, he didn't dare move in case he disturbed his bedmate; it was clear from the dull colour of his skin and the bags under his eyes that Ianto needed as much rest as he could get.

Gently Draco stroked Ianto's cheek with fingers that actually trembled just a bit; he’d missed his friend so much. Ianto had always been the one person in his life who readily offered a strong shoulder to cry or lean on when you needed it; the quick-witted guy who always had a sarcastic quip on the tip of his tongue. Ianto had always been a friend to everyone and despite long-standing rivalries, he’d never let house prejudices get in the way of being friends with whomever he chose.

Draco discovered that he really missed the strong, kind-hearted man that Ianto had been before the war and before Torchwood had destroyed his spirit. In his heart, the blond knew that that man was still in there somewhere and he would do everything he could to find the Ianto he’d fallen in love with during their infamous first encounter on the main staircase at Hogwarts. Draco knew he could help Ianto heal and he was determined to be there for Ianto, even if the other man never saw him as anything more than a friend. "I know you're broken but I will do my best to help fix you, if you’ll give me the chance," Draco whispered softly to Ianto as he continued to watch his mate sleep. However, he knew that before he could claim Ianto he would have to discuss what role – if any – Jack Harkness would play in their relationship.

******

The moment the big cog door rolled open and he stepped foot in the Hub Owen could feel Jack's eyes burning a hole into him from across the room. With a sinking heart, the medic knew that he had some serious explaining to do.

"So, I take it you know about the wizarding world then?" Owen paused just past the inner cage door and crossed his arms over his chest, grateful that neither Tosh nor Gwen was in yet.

Jack crossed his own arms across his chest and returned Owen's glare in equal measure. "I've had my dealings with the wizarding world in the past and you know about Archie. So… you're a wizard like Ianto?"

A sharp bark of bitter laughter escaped Owen's lips. "Oh no, I am _nothing_ like Ianto Jones! He grew up in that world; I was, am and always will be a wizard who had the misfortune to be born into a muggle family. I went to Hogwarts before Ianto and I was long gone before the final war with Voldemort and his followers, the Snake Eaters. I excelled in every subject, top of my year in potions making, herbology and every other course that had anything to do with healing.

“I even saved the life of three students who had unusual allergic reactions to the Butterbeer served at The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade but no one gives a damn about that. All anybody remembers or cares about is that Ianto is the only son of two original members of the Order of the Phoenix and that he fought bravely in the war.” Even as he spoke Owen found himself wondering why the words sounded so bitter when he didn’t feel that way. Truth be told, and he would never admit this fact to anyone, he was quite proud that he knew Ianto Jones and could call him friend. 

Jack studied Owen for a moment, comparing Owen’s tone to the way he’d seen the medic treat Ianto on a daily basis around the Hub. “Bit of a rivalry there, Owen?”

Owen flushed; he wasn’t about to confess the admiration he had for the wizard, Ianto Jones; Jack had set the team’s attitude toward Ianto when he’d made it clear that he’d hired the young man for his pretty face and hot body. Determined to take the focus off himself, Owen bared his teeth in a grim smile and said, “There’s also his very well-known friendship with one Draco Malfoy." Satisfied that his arrow had hit its mark, Owen wasn't at all surprised to hear a growl escape Jack and he watched as fire flashed in the older man’s eyes and an angry flush coloured his cheeks.

"Oh, stuff it, Harkness!” Owen’s voice was sharp as he waved aside any protest Jack was about to make. “You’ve wanted to get into Ianto's pants from the moment you saw him but he and Draco are a joined pair. I will admit that did throw me a bit when I learned about Lisa, given the nature of Ianto and Draco's bond, but I figured, who am I to judge, right?"

While it was true Owen didn't go to school with Ianto and Draco, he had fought alongside them during the Great War and he was one of the main healers who’d been on called to help out with the wounded. He had seen first-hand the way Draco and Ianto had looked after and protected one another. _‘Oh yeah,’_ Owen snorted with silent amusement; _‘if Jack_ _really wants_ _Ianto he’s_ _not only_ _gonna_ _to have to_ _get_ _past_ _Ianto's_ _super-protective_ _fathers_ _and friends_ _but_ _also_ _past Draco_ _Malfoy!’_ It was rumoured that the heir to the vast Malfoy fortune was prepared to do anything in his power to keep Ianto safe.

Feeling quite self-conscious by the way Owen was looking at him, Jack studied Owen in return, wondering what the man was thinking. As for Jack’s train of thought, he couldn't get Severus’ words out of his head. "Do you know Rhys Williams?" he found himself asking.

The change in Owen was instantaneous as a shutter fell over his eyes and his face closed off. "I don't want to talk about it!" the doctor snarled as he abruptly turned on his heel and stalked towards his medical bay anger radiating off him in vast waves.

With an eyebrow raised in surprise, Jack watched Owen go; that was all he needed at the moment, a new mystery added on top of all of this mess and the only people with answers weren't offering any… yet. _'I'll give you your few days, Ianto, and then we’re finally going to talk like we should have been doing all along. I dropped the ball with you once before, but never again.'_ Jack was finally realising how little he truly knew about his team, Ianto Jones most of all, but that was all about to change.

******

Leaning against the doorway Sirius watched as Draco, with the help of Remus, got Ianto settled into bed. Their son hadn’t woken once as they moved him to his bed which, as far as Sirius was concerned, just proved how incredibly worn out their son was and that only made him hate Torchwood all the more.

Draco didn’t care about the opinions of either Sirius or Remus as he climbed into bed next to Ianto and curled himself around his friend’s relaxed body; he had foolishly let Ianto go once and there was no way he was going to make that a second time.

Seeing that his son was safe in Draco’s hands and probably wouldn’t wake again for hours to come, Remus moved towards his husband with a determined attitude. From the look on his mate’s face Remus was sure that Sirius was planning on hurting someone and he had a pretty good idea of just who Sirius was thinking about. “You can’t kill anyone, my dear heart, if only because Ianto wouldn’t want you to,” Remus warned as he took Sirius’ hand tightly in his and pulled him from the room.

“I know!” Sirius growled out vehemently, “and that’s the _only_ reason I’m not hunting Captain Jack Harkness down right now.” He really need to concentrate on Remus’ warning because the need to punish the man who’d hurt his son was making his blood boil.

“I understand, really I do, but we can’t do anything to Jack or the others,” Remus soothed his mate. “All we can do for the moment is be here for Ianto because this situation hasn’t peaked yet and when it does he’s going to need us more than he ever has before. He has a lot of healing to do before we truly have our son back.”

"I would still feel better if I was allowed to punch this Harkness fellow,” Sirius wasn't pouting but he was close to it. “Just once, _please_?"

Understanding his mate's feelings Remus pressed a kiss onto the top of Sirius’ head. "I know the feeling well and I’ll make a deal with you, okay? If Harkness is foolish enough to show his face here, I won't stop you, love," Remus promised.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was the second morning since Ianto had revealed that he had magical powers, and both Jack and Harry had reached the end of their patience although for entirely different reasons. Harry had grown tired of waiting and he wanted answers while Jack needed to find Ianto and make sure that he was alright.

"Severus, it's time to tell me what’s going on," Harry growled out low in his throat.

Sighing deeply, Severus closed the book he was reading and looked up at Ianto; he was amazed that his husband had lasted this long. "You might want to wait until your friends arrive, because I am only telling this once and it will save you the time of rallying your troops."

Raising an eyebrow Harry fought the urge to pout but in his heart he knew that Severus wouldn't refuse to tell him unless he had a very good reason to do so. Frustrated, Harry threw himself down on the sofa; he just _really_ hated to wait.

*******

When Ianto’s much more well-rested body slowly returned to the world of the living the first thing he noticed was that he felt safe and protected, a feeling he hadn't felt since he left the wizarding world behind. His eyes flickered upward and a soft smile tugged at his lips as he took in the sleeping face of Draco, whose head was on the pillow next to him. "My dragon, always protecting me; I'm so sorry for leaving you like I did," he whispered softly. Ianto knew he should have stayed in the wizarding world with Draco, but he had wanted to heal from the war and he didn’t believe he could do that when he was surrounded by memories. Unfortunately, Ianto’s foray into the muggle world had done more damage than good and he’d returned home more broken than ever before.

"I don't blame you, Yan; I knew you needed to heal. And I will _always_ protect my wolf," Draco mumbled back his voice thick with sleep.

Ianto blinked with surprise and pleasure as he found himself staring into a pair of awake silver eyes. _'How had I missed that?'_  "I know, I just didn't think that I would return to you even more broken then when I left."

Another growl escaped Draco's lips. "You are not broken; you're just a little bent, just like the rest of us." He hated the idea of Ianto putting himself down like that. Draco knew that Ianto needed his friends at this moment; he needed to know that he was loved and cared for. "You do know that the others should know by now and they’re going to be here a moment," Draco muttered in a long suffering sigh.

Ianto couldn't help but laugh. Draco had come a long way since their time at Hogwarts but there was one thing that hadn't changed, he still didn't like sharing Ianto with others. "It would be nice to see them again. And just think the sooner they arrive, the sooner they can leave," Ianto offered a bright spot.

Draco had to admit that Ianto had a point; the sooner he could get this the reunion over with the better and then he could have Ianto all to himself. "So how long do you bet we’ll have to wait for them to show up?"

Ianto smiled for the first time in two days. "I have a feeling they’re going to be here any moment." Ianto couldn't help but laugh at the groan that escaped Draco's lips; he really wasn't looking forward to this.

*******

Sirius smiled with joyful relief as he heard his son laugh, it was a sound he’d truly missed; he was grateful that Draco had made his son happy and he was hoping that the new arrivals would help as well. The front bell rang at that moment and Sirius hurried to answer it.

The wizard had barely turned the lock before the door flew open and the older man found himself engulfed in a hue hug. "Sirius!" Harry cried as he threw himself into his godfather's arms. "Where is Ianto? Is he okay?" Harry demanded.

Standing just behind his husband, Remus smiled as Neville, Luna, Fred, George, Oliver, Blaise, Seamus and Hermione were all crowded together, standing next to Harry, eagerly waiting for news on their friend and murmuring amongst themselves about what they’d find.

"I'm okay, guys," Ianto's soft voice was unexpectedly heard over the din from the front steps.

Luna was the first to move; she didn’t hesitate shove Harry to the side and rush past Ianto’s fathers to pull the broken man into a hug. Other than his fathers’ and Draco’s, Luna’s was the first caring touch Ianto had felt since Canary Wharf and with a choked sob Ianto clung to her. As he soaked Luna’s shirt with his heart-broken tears he finally released the desperate pain he’d been carrying with him for nearly a year.

Letting her friend’s anguish pour over her like turbulent water over a calming boulder, Luna hummed a soft, soothing tune from her childhood as she stroked Ianto’s back, her touch gentle, caring and comforting.

Neville felt guilt clinging to his soul with jagged claws as he watched Ianto’s shoulders heave as he broke down in Luna's arms. _‘This is all my fault! I never should have let Ianto help me.’_  After all, Ianto only joined Torchwood him. "Ianto, I'm so sorry for dragging in you into this mess," Neville apologised as he came to stand at Luna’s side.

With a watery smile, Ianto lifted his head from Luna’s shoulder and shook his head decisively. "No, Neville, none of this is your fault; I chose to go." Ianto didn't want his friend to blame himself for events that were completely out of his control.

Knowing how much Ianto needed his friends around him, Severus waited until everyone had moved into the lounge to bring up what was sure to be a delicate subject. He truly hated to break up the touching reunion between Ianto and the others, but he also knew that he had to warn Ianto before ‘they’ came looking for him. “Ianto,” and then he waited until he had the younger man’s attention solely on him before he continued. “Jack Harkness has been in contact with me and he would like to talk to you," Severus informed Ianto in a solemn, non-judgemental tone and he wasn't at all surprised when several protective growls and growls of anger came from the group.

Draco immediately abandoned his seat to go sit next to Ianto shifting his position so that he could wrap his arms around his friend in a protective hold. He could feel Ianto’s trembling against him.

Ianto swallowed hard, he’d always known he would have to talk to Jack at some point, he just hadn’t expected that time to come so soon.

It was Draco who spoke first; “That bastard has a lot of nerve making demands after he…”

Ianto quieted his blond defender with a single touch. "Tell him…” he paused and looked at his fathers, drawing strength from their silent smiles of support. “Tell Jack I’ll speak to him in a week.”

Severus nodded his head with approval; he was pleased to see that Ianto was still prepared to give himself some much-needed time to heal. "I will make sure that Jack honours your request. Now I believe you have some catching up to do."

Ianto smiled as he was transferred out of Draco's  hold and into Neville’s arms, he had truly missed his friends.

******

Jack was upset to say the least that he hadn't heard a word from Ianto, it became clear that Ianto didn't want to see him right away and he was more than a little bit jealous that this Draco fellow was looking after his Ianto. Unfortunately, he had to lock that part of him away for the time being because he had bigger things to worry about; the rest of his team seemed to be falling apart right before his eyes.

"Jack! What are you going to do about Ianto?" Gwen demanded in a shrill voice as soon as she as she marched into the Hub that morning. She didn't know why but she was afraid; she’d spent her entire drive to work expecting to see Ianto pop out of nowhere and zap her into oblivion.

Jack slowly shook his head with growing uneasiness as Owen growled a warning at Gwen and Tosh shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Nothing, Gwen, I’m not going to _do_ a thing. Ianto Jones is on leave for the time being. He’s right, we failed him big ti…” He held up his hand as Gwen opened her mouth to protest.

“Yes, Gwen we _all_ failed him; we _all_ let him slip through the cracks. I admit that I didn't give a tinker’s damn about the survivors of Torchwood One, I gladly washed my hands of them. Now however, I’m willing to change all that. I’m going to give Ianto a chance to heal and then when we  up to it I’ll tell him that there is still a spot here at Torchwood for him," Jack explained, “if he wants it.”

“No!” Gwen stamped her foot in protest, looking positively horrified. “You can’t do that to me, Jack, he's a freak! We can't trust him! Is he even human?! What if he turns on us again?"

A vicious snarl broke free from Owen's lips. "You do know that your boyfriend is just as big as a freak as Ianto and I are!" He could feel his magic coursing through his veins trying to get free and teach this horrible muggle a lesson. He wanted nothing more than to pull out his wand and hex Gwen properly, just like he'd been dreaming about doing since she first arrived.

Tosh and Jack both were taken back by the pure venom dripping from Owen's voice and Jack had a feeling deep in his gut that said something unpleasant was coming, Owen looked ready to snap.

Always one to ignore what she didn’t want to hear, Gwen did a good imitation of an owl as she blinked at Owen. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Rhys is perfectly normal," she argued back.

"You really can't be that thick, can you? Rhys Williams is a wizard, just like Ianto and I are,” Owen snapped with extreme irritation. He could not believe that Gwen, who proclaimed herself to be the love of Rhys' life, did not know about his magic.

Gwen shifted with obvious discomfort and her eyes flicked back and forth between Jack and Tosh. "Well, of course I know! Rhys and I don’t have any secrets. I just didn't think you were allowed to tell other people."

Owen snorted with wry amusement. "You really didn't read the rules, did you? Just like you’ve never read Torchwood’s manual either, cos then you’d know that Torchwood knows all about the wizarding world. Has since old Queen Vickie set up the Torchwood Institute back in the day. Wizards think of Torchwood as great allies and we especially like Archie over at Torchwood Two. So you can drop the act now, princess." There was a distinct sneer to the doctor’s last words as he raked his gaze over Gwen.

"Okay! That is enough!" Tosh growled as she slammed her hands on the table. "This is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves! We need to focus on helping Ianto not on attacking each other.”  Tosh aimed her last comment specifically at Gwen before turning to Owen and asking, “I take it Rhys knows Ianto?"

Owen gave a sharp nod. "Rhys fought in the war alongside Ianto and me.” He turned to Jack as an idea formed in his brain. “You know, Jack, I think it would be a good idea to bring him in; if… _when_ Ianto decides to come back to the muggle world and to Torchwood, he could use an old friend, someone who hasn’t been tainted by what happened with the Cyberwoman.”

“That’s actually a pretty good idea,” Jack admitted. “Ianto wouldn’t feel so isolated and I know that they get along pretty well.”

Pleased that Jack was listening to him, Owen continued, “Rhys can also be the peacekeeper between us,” and he waved his arm in an all-encompassing gesture, “and everyone else in Ianto’s world.”

Toshiko frowned, “It’s not really that bad, is it? I mean Ian…”

“I can promise you that Ianto's family and friends are going to be rather violent towards us for hurting him. With Rhys acting as a buffer, a rational voice in the mix, hopefully some of us might escape relatively unscathed." Owen knew if they didn't have someone to run interference between the righteous anger of Ianto’s supporters and the ignorance of Torchwood’s employees  things could get messy, fast.

The medic cast a glance at Gwen that clearly said she was doomed, but Gwen missed it completely; her attention was focused on Jack. Seeing the look of undisguised lust on her face, Owen knew that Rhys was facing a very difficult job.

"A wise course of action, Dr Harper." A new voice spoke up. “I commend you for your forward thinking.”

"Severus!" Jack wasn't sure what the wizard’s unexpected arrival meant, he just hoped that Ianto was ready to talk to him. "Is... is Ianto with you?" He was afraid to ask but he just couldn’t help himself.

Severus sighed at the raw hope in Jack's voice; _‘the poor man is drawn to Ianto no matter how hard he wants to deny it.’_ Steeling himself against the on-coming wave of disappointment, he shook his head at Jack. "I'm afraid not; Ianto asked for a week and believe me when I tell you that he needs all that time and more, actually. First, he needs time to heal, emotionally, physically and spiritually from the wounds he has suffered in your world. Plus, and perhaps more importantly, he needs every moment of that time to convince his family and friends that hunting you all down and punishing you for what you’ve done to him isn’t necessary right now."

As Owen and Toshiko were busy looking at each other in silent communication, and Gwen was simply staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed at Severus with an incredulous look on her face, _‘How the hell did he get in here and why didn’t the alarms go off?!’,_ Severus was the only one who saw Jack's hopes crash to the Hub’s floor and shatter. Feeling an unusual sense of compassion for the immortal, Severus quietly pointed out, "Jack, you know that this is a wise course of action. You’re all still hurt by what you see as Ianto’s betrayal and you’ll be the first to admit that emotions around here are still quite raw. This really is the best solution for everyone."

Looking at Jack Harkness, Severus could see the same intense pain of want, need, loss and love shining in his eyes that he’d seen earlier in Ianto’s. The only difference between what the two men were feeling was that Ianto had immediately shuttered his emotions from view while Jack’s were a palpable, living, breathing entity.

Jack hated to admit it but the wizard actually did have a good point. If he had any hope of ever seeing Ianto again, he was going to have to play by Ianto’s rules. "Very well,” Jack’s shoulder sagged in defeat. “Will you at least tell Ianto that he doesn't have anything to fear from us?"

"I will,” Severus agreed but then he added a warning intended for them all. “But be warned, Jack, Ianto is far more damaged than you realise. He was still healing from fighting in the war and being forced to watch Torchwood One burn only broke him further. Losing Lisa the way he did only finished the job."

With knees that were threatening to buckle, Jack swallowed thickly; the last thing he wanted to do was break Ianto more. "Severus, you have to believe me, hurting him is the last thing I want, so please, look after my Ianto for us?"

If anyone noticed Jack’s little slip-up, they didn’t say anything.

"You have my word, Jack; Ianto is one of us and we always take very good care of our own. As for you, think about what I said; having Rhys Williams here would be a very good idea, for _all_ involved." Severus directed a sneer of disgust at Gwen, he didn't know what she was but there was an insidious darkness tainting her and he could see that it was already beginning to affect the others.

“No!” Gwen stamped her foot. “I don’t thi…!”

Jack didn't care what Gwen thought, he was going to have Rhys join Torchwood, even if only temporarily, mainly as support and as an unbiased third party. He didn’t give a furry rat’s arse about the past that seemed to be coming to light between Owen, Rhys and Gwen; if having Rhys around could help Ianto, then here Rhys would be. "I'll talk to him right away and explain the situation to him, see if Rhys would be willing to help."

“I’ll come with you, Jack; that way he’ll know you’re not trying to take the piss,” Owen immediately offered.

“And I’ll get him set up in the computer and prep his ID cards and access pass,” Tosh’s fingers were already flying across her keyboards.

"No! Don’t you dare! I don't want Rhys anywhere near Torchwood, do you understand me, Jack Harkness!" Gwen roared jumping to her feet. Her face was mottled red and white with anger and there was a bit of spittle in the corner of her mouth. “I won’t have it…”

Before another word could fall from her lips Gwen Cooper was hit with spell that silenced her instantly and all eyes flew to Owen who was looking extraordinarily pleased with himself as he replaced his wand in its hiding place. "That felt _good_ and trust me when I tell you that if I hadn't shut her up, I might have done something much worse."

Jack could feel a headache forming at the base of his skull and he reached back to massage his neck; he really had been mistaken when he thought there was lust between Owen and Gwen. _'I somehow forgot how close lust and hate can be.'_ Despite wanting to remain ignorant of the facts, Jack pointed out, "Owen, we're going to need to hear the full story about what happened between you, Gwen and Rhys before any of you actually shed blood."

Owen's jaw grew tense as he glared at Jack. "Fine! But I'll talk to Rhys first; this is between the two of us and we’ll decide what you need to know."

Gwen made a soundless growl and Severus couldn't help but smirk broadly at her; _‘it would seem that all_ _your shameless_ _schemes are about to come undone, you conniving bitch.’_ "Very well then, I shall leave this mess to you. I give you my word that I will be back in one week to take you to Ianto and the others," Severus promised and then as silently and mysteriously as he’d arrived, the former potions master was gone.

Owen felt every nerve in his body standing on the edge and shrieking in panic; he was going to have to face Rhys Williams again for the first time in almost five years. It wasn’t a situation he’d ever thought would take place, so he wasn’t prepared for it in any way, shape or form, so needless to say this was not something he was looking forward to.

*******

"Yan, are you okay?"

Ianto blinked in surprise at Neville's gentle question and realised first that he’d gotten lost in his thoughts and second, that his knee was bouncing.

"I'm not sure, what if Jack doesn't want to see me? What if I damaged this so badly?” Ianto looked at his old friend with something akin to panic in his eyes. “And I will admit that I am a mess inside emotionally; is it too soon for me to be thinking about moving on past Lisa? I'm finally starting to see that she’s been gone for a while now, but what my head knows and what my heart feels are two very different things," Ianto admitted in a soft, confused voice.

Neville took Ianto’s hand in his as he said, "Lisa wasn't the only one who loved you and she wouldn't want you to grieve for her forever. Lisa would want you to go on living."

Remus also tried to reassure his son. "It's okay to love again, son, to open your heart, to invite others in and to allow them to love you."

Ianto's eyes flickered uncertainly over to Draco and he wondered that if he had the courage to act on the bond that existed between them, but then again, there was Jack to consider. He couldn't deny that he did indeed feel something equally powerful for him. "I just don't know what to do; I really care about both Draco and Jack."

It was Draco Malfoy, renowned in his youth for his arrogant selfishness who became the voice of reason. “If this man, this _muggle,_ means that much to you, Ianto, then I guess I can share you with Jack, but only Jack.” Draco hated to share his Ianto anyone but he wasn’t blind; no matter how hard Ianto tried to hide it, it was clear to Draco that Ianto had fallen deeply in love with that bastard, Jack Harkness.

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it, Draco,” Ianto shook his head with sadness he could feel deep in his bones. “Jack wants nothing to do with me. Any feelings he might have had for me died when he found out about Lisa.”

Draco had to wonder how anyone could be so blind; yes, there was most likely going to be some lingering anger in Jack but from everything Draco had heard there was no denying the truth that Jack was falling for Ianto and Ianto was falling for Jack. “Ianto, I’m not sure if…”

“It’s all right.” As if afraid about what his friend might say, Ianto reached out and took Draco's hand in his. "There's no wondering about what-if's or anything else or this week of waiting will drive me insane. Rather than make any plans right now, this is something that we should discuss with Jack first," Ianto compromised.

"Fine," Draco slumped back in his chair, his mind already racing with ideas for the week; he decided right then and there that would devote as much time he could to wooing and winning Ianto before Jack Harkness came into their lives.

*******

Rhys Williams could only stare in surprise and suspicion at the man who’d rung the bell and was now standing in his doorway. "Owen? What are you doing here?" Rhys couldn't believe his eyes.

Owen felt his heart skip a beat or two as he stared at a man he hadn't seen in five years. "I'm here to talk to you about Ianto."

Rhys paled. Truth be told, he was rather fond of Ianto; he’d never made fun of the fact that Rhys was Hufflepuff. In fact, Ianto was one of the few students who’d liked everyone from all the houses, which helped to explain his complicated relationship with Draco. "Come on in, mate."

Owen tried not to take a look at the flat that Rhys shared with Gwen. _'This should have been our place. No! Now is not the time for such thoughts.'_ he told himself firmly."Rhys, you should probably sit down, this is a long story," Owen told him grimly.

*******

"So wait, the new girl, Gwen Cooper, is the _same_ Gwen Cooper who broke up Owen and Rhys? Can we prank her?" Fred asked eagerly. He and his brother, George, were already quivering with excitement over the potential for mayhem.

Having fallen in love across the breakfast table in the great hall on their first morning at Hogwarts, Owen and Rhys had been one of those power couples that everyone had thought would last. Not even loony Luna Lovegood could have predicted that Rhys would ever leave Owen for a _muggle_.

Ianto nodded his head. "I couldn't believe it myself, not at first but once I looked into her, it became clear just who she was. I tell you, though, Owen hasn't been the same since he and Rhys ended; he's become cold and bitter like it’s eating him up inside. Personally,  I just don't see what’s so great about Gwen that would have had Rhys dumping Owen to be with her."

Luna shook her head as she curled deeper into George’s embrace. "There is an awful darkness clinging Gwen's soul, she doesn't have magic, it's something else. She has a gift that she has no control over and I believe that she used it on Rhys. She decided that she wanted him and she used that gift to twist his mind into believing that he wanted her as well."

Everyone could only stare at the blond woman who had just rocked everyone's world. No one dared question Luna about how she knew such things, she was Luna and it was her gift. "Let me get this straight, you're telling us that Gwen wanted Rhys and she messed with his mind to make him believe that he wanted her as well?" George asked his girlfriend just to make sure he had heard her correctly.

Luna nodded her head. "Yes, she has the gift of telepathy; she doesn't know it but she has the instinct to use it to get what she wants without realising that she's doing so. She broke up Rhys and Owen's happy relationship just because she wanted Rhys. But in the face of true love her control is wavering and can even be useless."

Sinking back in his chair, Ianto slowly chewed on his lip while he processed what he’d just heard. _‘That would explain so much,’_ he thought, _‘I’ve always felt some sort of darkness coming off of_ _Gwen.’_ A thought struck him and he leaned forward again. "Could that power of hers work on Jack’s mind so that she never gets in trouble with Jack or has to face the consequences of her actions?" he asked Luna.

Luna hummed a little under her breath as she considered Ianto’s question. "While it is true the immortal's mind is shielded against almost all forms of intrusion, he was left unfortunately susceptible to Gwen’s influence because he saw her as a shell of someone he’d lost. He was very wrong for Gwen and Jack’s friend are two very different souls and the flower would not like being compared to Gwen. The holder of time's vortex allowed himself to be swayed because he blindly believed that he’d found someone to replace his lost Rose and so he tried to give Gwen the life that Rose had been robbed of."

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!” Neville barked angrily. “Rose Tyler is nothing like Gwen Cooper!" He felt insulted on Rose's behalf; how could anyone ever compare his beloved Rose to the likes of Gwen Cooper. He hadn't even met the blasted woman but after everything he’d heard about her from Ianto and Owen, she didn't sound like anyone he ever wanted to meet.

Oliver and Bill wrapped their arms around Neville and tried to calm their mate  down; they knew that the Doctor and Rose were a sensitive subject for their lover. "Hey, we all know that Gwen could never be anything like Rose and who knows, maybe you’ll get the chance to smack some sense into Jack," Bill murmured knowing how much Neville would enjoy avenging Ianto and defending Rose.

Neville huffed but smiled warmly at his lovers. "Damn right I will."

A thoughtful look entered Ianto's eyes; maybe there was still a chance for everyone to get their happy ending.

*******

"Wow!" Rhys was absolutely gobsmacked and that the only thing he could utter after Owen finished telling him the story. "Poor Ianto! I couldn't image watching someone I love be twisted into a monster."

Owen couldn't help it as he snarled out, "Don't worry, I'm sure your precious Gwen will be just fine! Jack seems very interested in keeping her safe." Owen knew it was a low blow and that Rhys didn’t deserve it, after all Jack had pretty much ignored Gwen in favour of sorting out his feelings for Ianto, but damn it, he wanted to hurt Rhys like he’d hurt him.

Rhys blinked rapidly, completely taken back by the venom in Owen’s voice. "What the hell is your problem, Harper? You have no right to be pissed at me for moving on, not when you had Katie. I'm sorry she died and it caused you pain, but damn it you hurt me first!" Rhys snarled back, reaching the end of his patience with Owen's attitude. "It wasn't like you actually loved me, you know," Rhys added under his breath.

Owen recoiled; Katie was still a very sore subject with him. "I loved Katie and a part of me always will but don't think for one second that I didn't love you. I loved you very much! You were the one who moved on first! Gwen Cooper came into your life and she was all you could think about!" Owen snarled as he shoved at Rhys. “You couldn’t throw me over fast enough after you met her!” The pain he’d felt when he’d realised that their newest teammate was the woman who had stolen his lover away from him had been unbearable; it had been an intense pain he hadn't felt since he’d lost Katie.

Rhys could only blink at Owen in disbelief for a moment before growling, "I have no idea what you're talking about! You were the one who fell in love with Katie _first_ and I let you go because it was clear that you were truly and deeply in love with her. You were already talking about starting a family with her!"

A derisive scoff escaped Owen's lips. "That’s an utter lie! I saw you with Gwen; she was hanging all over you and you were looking at her like she hung the moon." Owen would never forget the first time he’d seen Rhys and Gwen together and felt his whole world crumble at the sight.

Rhys' blank look was suddenly a clue for Owen, one that hit him over the head like a sledge hammer. "That bitch!" Owen snarled vehemently. "Severus said there was a darkness to her, some kind of gift she could use to twist things around to get her way. Tell me who told you I was with Katie?"

Rhys didn't need to think. "It was Gwen; she said she’d seen the two of you together and thought you were a cute couple. I didn’t believe her so I followed you and I saw for myself the way you looked at Katie and all I wanted was your happiness, Owen, and I thought that was for you to be with her."

Owen could not believe what he was hearing. "You thought I was going to leave _you_ for Katie? She was a medical student and my friend! I was helping her study for a very difficult exam! We were only friends until _after_ you chose Gwen over me. Katie was a friend first and only much later did she become a lover."

Rhys couldn't process what he was hearing; everything he thought he knew was a lie. "I need time to think; please, could you leave me alone? I'll be there when Ianto comes back, you have my word, but I just need to be alone until then."

"No problem. I'll talk to you later, then." Owen could understand why Rhys needed some time alone, his whole world had just been rocked off its foundation. "Just so you know, Rhys, I still love you," Owen whispered before leaving the flat.

Yet another blow to his suddenly fragile emotional health. Rhys hung his head in his hands, unsure of what was real, all he knew for sure was that he had been lied to by someone he’d trusted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_One week later_

Ianto was nervous as they got ready to head to the Hub, but there was one thing he needed to do before he found out what fate Jack decided on for him. "Draco, wait…"

Draco blinked in surprise as Ianto grasped his arm and pulled him in for their first kiss and it was wonderful. It was everything that they’d both ever imaged it to be; it was perfect and it felt like coming home.

They only parted when Sirius cleared his throat in warning, separating sheepishly, the two men gazed at each other for a moment and then chuckled.

Draco licked his lips, "What was that for?"

Ianto smiled gently at Draco. "My dragon, it was something I should have done a long time ago. No matter what happens today, I want you to know that I want to build a life with you. I love you, Draco Malfoy, you are my mate."

Draco could hardly believe what he was hearing. "I love you too, Ianto Black-Lupin, and I will not let anyone come between us, not this time around." His voice went from breathless to determined by the end of his sentence.

"I know and I'm not leaving you, no matter what; you are my home," Ianto promised and he knew he was speaking the truth. No matter what happened today his life was with Draco now.

*******

Jack was a complete wreck, Tosh had never seen Jack nervous before and he wasn't the only one. There was a kind of tension in the Hub, one that echoed through the rafters and pressed in against them all from the walls. It had all begun the day after Owen went to talk to Rhys; Gwen had come storming into the Hub yelling and ranting, throwing things at Owen and blaming him for ruining her life. It would seem that Rhys had moved out of their flat saying that he needed a break but he wouldn’t tell her why.

Hiding behind her monitors, Tosh had kept an eye on Owen after Gwen had screamed herself out and then departed as dramatically as she’d entered. The tech genius couldn't help but smile when she saw how truly happy this news made Owen.

The Hub was completely silent before several sharp pops filled the air and even though he should have seen it coming Jack was still unprepared when a fist unexpected connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling back a few feet and then falling on his arse.

Seething with rage Sirius Black stood towering above the man who had damaged his son and stomped on his heart, hate pouring off him in waves. “You broke my son! No matter what he’s been through he’s always managed to come back to us in one piece, until he ended up working here with you!" Sirius was so far beyond pissed that he felt like he was separate from himself and watching his body interact with Jack. Pulling back his arm, Sirius prepared to hit Jack again; he was so livid that there was no stopping him.

Fortunately for all parties concerned, there were cooler heads in the room and before Sirius let his punch fly, Remus caught hold of his fist, pulling him close and placing a comforting hand on his husband's shoulder. "That’s enough; I think you've made your point."

Jack rubbed his throbbing jaw gingerly as he climbed to his feet only for a blond man to come storming up to him a second later. "I don't care who you think you are, but no one hurts my Ianto the way you did. How could you not see that he was broken and crying out for help?" Draco demanded harshly as he shoved Jack. "How could you miss him crying so desperately for someone to notice that he needed help? You call yourself their leader but you failed miserably when it came to Ianto!” Draco spit out his words like shrapnel. “You don't deserve someone like him."

"Draco, that is enough, please don't hurt Jack anymore. He was right to do what he did and we both know it. That thing wasn't my Lisa anymore and blaming him won't change the fact that what’s done is done. Please, let's just get this over with," Ianto murmured as he stepped forward to stand next to Draco.

Knowing what was coming, Ianto steeled himself to receive Jack’s verdict. He knew that Jack would do what he thought was right, after all, he was a traitor and had brought a threat into Torchwood, a threat that could have destroyed the entire world. He couldn’t blame Jack at all for not wanting him to come back and the looks of sheer hatred that Gwen was sending him made it clear that she would _never_ trust Ianto to work with them, not anymore.

"So will it be the traditional traitor’s execution or will I have to pretend to forget you, her and all the rest? The ones you refuse to acknowledge existed; the ones you and the others claimed deserved their fate?" Ianto asked making no attempt to hide his broken tone. He had lost so much and seen so much death; he had escaped the horrors and disappointments of the wizarding world looking for a fresh start after the last war, and instead of discovering a new and fulfilling life, he’d found Torchwood and more death.

The degree of Ianto’s mental and spiritual exhaustion was obvious to everyone present when he said, "I'm tired of death clinging like an insidious shadow to everyone I love and that’s all Torchwood is, a death sentence.” Straightening his shoulders, Ianto took a step forward, “Please  just get this over with."

The pure pain in Ianto’s voice broke through the rage and hurt feelings that were clouding Jack’s vision and he wondered how he could possibly have missed how damaged Ianto really was? _‘How did I miss this? How could I have been so blind to Ianto’s suffering, the overwhelming pain that has covered his soul? How can I make this right with him?'_ Jack wondered if he even could.

"That's not why I'm wanted to talk to you, Ianto; I want you back here at Torchwood Three where you belong," Jack declared but that hadn't been what he meant to say.

“Belong?!” Utterly flabbergasted by Jack’s words, Ianto exploded his suppressed anger finally breaking free. "I don't _belong_ with you or the others! You all made that perfectly clear every single time I was left behind, every time you deliberately failed to include me in anything the team did, whether it was going to the pub or dealing with a rampaging Hoix! I may have wanted to be invisible but you all made it so very, very easy. The only time any of you even remembered I was alive was when you needed a coffee fix or something to eat, something filed or cleaned up. I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, Jack Harkness, but I don't belong there!"

"No, you belong with me!" Jack roared so loudly that he startled them all, including poor Myfanwy who shrieked with annoyance at being so rudely awoken.

Draco swallowed hard as a knot formed in his belly. Everything he’d feared was coming true; Jack did have feelings for Ianto and Ianto returned them. Stepping forward, he looked Jack squarely in the eye and demanded, "What is Ianto to you? How do you really feel about him?"

"Oh dear, this might get bloody," a soft male voice whispered next to Tosh's ear, one that nearly had her jumping with surprise.

Tilting her head back Tosh felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw the handsome man standing next to her.

The redheaded man tilted his head as he looked at Tosh. "You're really pretty and usually I'm not this forward. I'm Charlie Weasley, by the way, and you must be Toshiko Sato."

Tosh smiled and her cheeks coloured with a soft blush; he was rather adorable. "I am and it's nice to meet you, Charlie."

Charlie grinned with delight. Oh yes, he was really happy he’d tagged along, unless of course, things ended up all bloody, but then again, as he looked into Tosh's dark eyes he decided that he didn't really care.

Jack swallowed hard as his eyes flickered from Draco to Ianto and back again. "I don't know what I feel for Ianto,” he confessed. “I do know that I feel complete with him around and that I was full of jealousy and bitterness when I saw how much he cared for Lisa.” Turning to Ianto, Jack allowed a small measure of the fear, uncertainty and pain he was feeling to show in his eyes. “I want you in my life, Ianto, you and whoever else that may include. If Severus is right and I believe he is, then you are my mate."

Ianto's breath hitched and he reached out blindly for Draco's hand needing a solid connection to reality. It took him several nerve-wracking minutes before he was able to say, "I cannot deny that I feel the pull of one mate towards another, my wolf sees you as my mate but he also sees Draco in that way. So if you want to explore whatever this is between us, you need to accept Draco as well." Ianto could not and would not lose Draco a second time.

Jack saw it, the absolute truth in Ianto's eyes; his Welshman was now package deal that he was going to have to learn to share and he only had himself to blame. "Okay, I accept that. Can I… _may_ I kiss you now?" He wanted one taste of his Welshman.

Draco was pleased beyond measure when Ianto turned to him for permission and he nodded; he could afford to be generous at the moment because after all, he had gotten the first taste of Ianto. "Go ahead, it might be kinda hot."

Ianto wouldn't lie; ever since that fateful encounter in the warehouse where they’d caught Myfanwy he had lain awake many a night dreaming of this moment. As his lips met Jack’s for the first time, Ianto was filled with a wildfire of sensation; while Draco felt like home and safety, Jack was pure passion and adventure. Never before had two such different kisses made him feel so much, not even Lisa.

"Okay, I will admit that is hot," Draco grumbled although he didn't like to admit it and while he didn't want to share Ianto, it was clear that he had no choice. Through some strange twist of fate, Ianto was both his and Jack's mate, no matter how much he didn't like it.

"Well I guess that means we'll be sticking around for a while," Charlie whispered to Tosh.

"I'm glad to hear that," Tosh whispered back with a bright smile.

*******  
 _Somewhere in Time and Space_

The TARDIS felt Jack's pain and she mourned for all the suffering she had put him through but she had no choice, it was the only way that Jack could meet the two men meant for him. She had seen Jack's multiple futures and all roads led to Ianto Jones but there’d always been something missing, some element that was needed, one that would complete Ianto.

It had taken her quite some time to discover that it was Draco Malfoy who completed the circle, and while Jack and Draco didn't love each other at the moment, they would in time. For now Ianto was the glue that they both needed and they were the only ones who held the key to healing Ianto's damaged soul. Without the love of Jack and Draco there was no hope of Ianto’s complete recovery.

Now there was only one thing left for the TARDIS to do and that was to grant Jack's request that she remove the piece of vortex she had gifted him with so long ago. She would leave him only enough to allow him to age gracefully along with his two wizards and then, when the time was right, she would return to Jack and explain it all to him. And she wanted to see her Neville again; after all, her Doctor could use a keeper or two or maybe three. _'Neville's lovers are rather nice to look at and I think they would be good for my lonely angel. Maybe a trip is just what Jack and his two mates need to work out the kinks in their relationship.'_

Satisfied with her plan, the TARDIS hummed a happy song to herself. Pretty soon she would have to pay a visit to Cardiff; her Jack was finally on his way to being happy and now it was her Doctor's turn. She found playing matchmaker was rather fun.

The Doctor shifted uneasily as he felt his TARDIS’ mischievous side wrap around him. "Just what are you up to?" he asked and wasn't surprised when he didn't get an answer; he knew that she would let him know when she wanted him to know what she was up to.

_'Soon, my lonely angel, very soon,'_ the TARDIS promised and she knew that the time would come when she had no choice but to be in Cardiff. She could already hear the drums playing and she instinctively shivered; the Master was coming and she could only hope that they would be ready.

The End… for now


End file.
